Key Figures Mediterranean
211,385 arrivals by sea in 2016*
2,856 dead/missing in 2016*
*data.unhcr.org/mediterranean as of 15 june 2016
Trends on sea arrivals
Sea arrivals to Greece remain on an average of 50 per day since April, with some days with no arrivals, and other days with a peak up to 200 people a day. Between 6 and 12 June, 4,118 refugees and migrants arrived in Italy by sea, bringing the total of sea arrivals to Italy to 52,678. 47,851 persons arrived to Italy in the first five months of 2016, compared to 47,463 disembarked in the same period of 2015.
Key developments
Updated of the regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan
On 10 June, UNHCR and partners launched an update of the regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) involving 60 partner organizations and covering the eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans route. The RMRP has been revised to take into account the new circumstances on the ground following border closures along the Western Balkans route, and the entry into force of the EU-Turkey statement. In this context, UNHCR and humanitarian partners have redefined their engagement from a response primarily targeting people on the move, to focusing on a static population in Greece and on protection activities in countries in the Western Balkans. The financial requirements to implement the plan have been adjusted to reflect the change in circumstances. They currently stand at almost 670 million US dollars for 2016, of which contributions of 328.8 million US dollars have been received.
The pre-registration exercise on mainland Greece
A joint UNHCR-EASO-Hellenic Asylum Service press release announced the launch of the pre-registration exercise on 8 June. This operation aims to preregister applications for international protection from the approximately 49,000 people currently residing in accommodation sites in the mainland, offering in addition the possibility to request for family reunification or relocation to another EU Member State for those qualifying. This exercise is supported financially by the European Commission. UNHCR and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) are supporting the implementation of the pre-registration exercise. The process is open to people who entered Greece from 1 January 2015 and prior to 20 March 2016. As of 12 June a total of 1,830 people were registered and 3,270 people received a wrist-band prior to pre-registration. 83 unaccompanied children were identified and best interest assessments have been conducted. In addition, eight separated children were identified. Two pre-registration hubs were established in Thessaloniki and in Elliniko in Athens.
Child friendly spaces were installed in both locations and dry food packages were distributed by UNHCR.
UNHCR High Level Mission to Thessaloniki
UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, the Director of the Division of Emergency, Security and Supply, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe, accompanied by the UNHCR Representative in Greece visited Thessaloniki on 9 June. Their twoday mission included assessments of sites in Nea Kavala, Derveni warehouse, Oreokastro warehouse, Softex warehouse, Diavata, Lagkadikia, and the preregistration site at the Regional Asylum Service in Thessaloniki. The mission main objective was to look at UNHCR’s operational engagement in view of the decongestion of Eidomeni and the urgent need to provide support to and work with the authorities in the newly established sites. Several high-level meetings were also held in Athens with Greek authorities.
Situation on the islands
Conditions in the Reception and Identification Centres (RICS) on the Greek islands continue to be dire, particularly for people with specific needs. On Lesvos, families with specific needs who were transferred to the open facility Kara Tepe have begun to spontaneously return to Moria asking to be transferred to facilities with better living conditions and where cash assistance is distributed by some NGOs. On Samos, 128 refugees and migrants arrived during the reporting period, while no additional accommodation space is available. There are currently 1,063 people present in the RIC in Samos, which has a capacity of 636. As a result, new arrivals are staying in tents, which has led to increasing need for communal water and sanitation facilities and protection risks for the population.
Situation at the border between Serbia and Hungary
A significant number of refugees and migrants continue to accumulate at the border between Serbia and Hungary. Between 6 and 12 June, there were on average, 600 people, mainly women and children, awaiting admission into the “transit zones” in Hungary, without appropriate shelter or sanitary conditions.
UNHCR, UNICEF and the Red Cross continued to distribute food and non-food items to people present at the border in Horgos I and Kelebija. Some 213 individuals were admitted in the “transit zones” in the past week. Tensions remained in the pre-transit areas along the Serbian border. In addition, in relation to people trying to cross irregularly to Hungary, reports about pushbacks, physical abuse and harassment by Hungarian police forces and military personnel have increased in recent weeks. UNHCR has raised concerns about the increase in reported incidents with the Hungarian police.